Darkness and Love
by fabulousfriends
Summary: Fantasia is at war with the Darkness and thing that takes over a persons soul and controls them taking away their Humanity, Bastian must return to Fantasia to help save the world that had saved him. But this story is about Atreyu and girl called Yanaha, can they along with the help of Bastian defeat the Darkness before there is no wonder left in the magical world of fantasia?


There's a cold dark corner

in the back of my room,

it speaks to me

and says I'm coming for you.

As I lie on my bed

in the fetal position,

my eyes are closed

hoping and wishing.

Maybe that one day

my dreams will come true,

that I don't have to be here

so down and blue.

The corner keeps talking

about how I'm going to die,

all I can do

is lie there and cry.

As the corner gets closer

and takes me in,

my soul starts to burn

as so does my skin.

My bones shall lie there

turning to dust,

my bed surrounding

nothing but rust.

Darkness and war. Two words that describe the once bright and peaceful land that was Fantasia. Men, woman and children had all felt the wrath of the new threat that had been trying so hard to take over the land of Fantasia. The Darkness was slowly but surly covering Fantasia with its evil talons of sorrow and despair. Hate had become stronger than love and friendship was becoming nothing but a myth. Though the myth was only that a myth. Most parts of Fantasia had yet to be affected by the Darkness only the smallest corners of Fantasia had been drowned in sorrow and despair and the rest was left unchanged but everyone knew that was only temporary.

One person unaffected by the Darkness was 16 year old Atreyu of the plains people. In fact no one from his tribe had been affected...but other tribes had not been so lucky. One of these tribes were the people of the forest, they had been attacked by creatures that had been taken over by the darkness and only 2 people had come out alive. The tribe leader Asta and a 16 year old girl Yanaha. The plains people and the forest people had many centuries ago formed a treaty stating that if one tribe was in need of help the other would gladly help them in anyway possible and every month for as long as needed people from the forest would go to the pains and vies versa.

The day the 2 had arrived at the plains, had caused panic amongst the people but they were quick to help their friends. Atreyu had come to help and upon seeing his friend Yanaha helped her off of her horse Aztec and into his tent where he could tend to her wounds. Atreyu and Yanaha had been friends since Yanaha had come to visit for the first time at the age of 5 and now both of them being 16 their friendship had only grown though it was nothing more than that...friendship.

Atreyu took to cleaning a deep flesh wound on Yanaha's arm 'probably from battle' he thought. He took a cloth and put it over her wound. Yanaha tensed but said nothing. Atreyu stopped for a moment so Yanaha could get used to the yet cloth on her arm before continuing in his work. "It'll need stitches" he said taking the cloth away and pulling out a needle and thread. "Can I?" Atreyu asked pointing to her arm. Yanaha said nothing only nodded.

Arteyu started to thread the needle through her skin, stiching the split skin back together she didn't even flinch, it was like she was brain dead. "I'm not the best at stitches, but, it will do" He told her, letting go of her arm "Yanaha?" Atreyu asked trying to get her to speak. Though like before she said not a word. Atreyu sighed and took up the wet cloth again to clean her face. She had gained a few scrapes and bruises, some of the blood on her face didn't even come from a wound it was just there but other than that she seemed fine...minus the deep flesh wound on her arm. "Yanaha will you at least talk to me?" He asked to no reply. He sighed and stood from his position on the floor and walked towards the door, if she didn't want to talk he wasn't going to push her.

He turned and faced her again though she wasn't looking at him she was looking to the floor like she had been the entire time. He sighed again "You should get some sleep" he said walking out of the tent and heading off towards the horses. It had grown dark and everyone was retiring to bed so Atreyu had to make sure the horses were safe and put them to bed as well.

"Hello Aztec" he said once he had found the black mare. "what happened huh?" He asked stroking her neck. "Must have been something pretty bad for Yanaha not to say anything." He looked the mare over finding some cuts on her legs. "Looks like you got hurt to" he said running his hand over her front legs to make sure nothing was severely damaged and then taking her to a round pen tied her up for the night and headed over to Atrax. "He boy" he said. "It's been a long day" he took Artax over to the round pen where Aztec was tied. "You two can sleep here tonight" he then left walking back over to the tents and finding his. He was about to walk back inside when he heard something.

It was quiet so he couldn't make out the sound at first but he listened for a bit longer and he had a pretty good idea of what was happening. He opened the tent flap and his suspicions were confirmed. Yanaha was sitting on the bed her knees tucked up under her chin and her arms wrapped around them sobbing, her shoulder black hair falling over her face hiding her eyes. Though he could still see the tears that had begun to fall. "Yanaha" he sighed walking over to her and sitting beside her. The moment he sat down she threw her arms around him and wept into his shoulder. Atreyu wrapped his own arms around her whispering comforting words before silently saying "Tell me everything"

(Dream)

The light had begun to dim in the forest and the people were preparing food. The younger children were running around and the elders were sitting around a fire chanting words no one would understand except for those who belonged to the tribe. Yanaha was sitting up in a tree carving a piece of wood into a small wooden bird with her dagger. Humming a little tune she carved little patterns into the little bird. The soft humming soon turned into words.

"The world seems not the same

Though I know nothing has changed

It's all my state of mind

I can't leave it all behind

I have to stand up to be stronger" she sighed and leaned her head against the tree.

"Yanaha!" Her mother called from below. "Come down from there it's time for something to eat." She walked away towards the fire where everyone had begun to gather around to collect their share of food. Yanaha sighed again. She wasn't really hungry but she knew she had to eat something and so she began to climb down the tree towards the ground. She put her dagger back in her little wooden box she kept to store her things in but she held onto the bird putting it onto her pocket. Though she was wearing a knee lean gut dress made out a soft kind of leather she had made pockets for her to hold small things in, like the small wooden bird or maybe a small stone.

She reached the ground but the moment her feet hit the ground everything darkened. Yanaha froze when she heard a scream. She turned and there they were: the people of the darkness had arrived. Their skin was grey and falling away from their bodies, their eyes dark with no emotion their fingers had turned to claws and their teeth had become pointy like a dogs and their faces even resembled a dogs snout. Everything seemed to go in slow motion.

Her people were being slaughtered and they were turning into monsters of the dark. Yanaha stood frozen...In fact she couldn't move at all she was frozen in place forced to watch the events unfold in front of her. One of the monsters were coming straight for her but she couldn't do anything to stop it as it got ready to strike raising its claws Yanaha closed her eyes and then...nothing. Yanaha opened her eyes and they widened at what she saw. Her mother was in front of her and she took the blow blood spraying everywhere as the monsters claws made contact. Red liquid splashed onto Yanaha's face as he watched in horror as her mother fell to the ground and she wasn't moving.

Then all of a sudden Yanaha could move again. "MUM NO!" She screamed running to her side. "No no no no no no no this can't be happening!" She cried.

"Y-Yanaha..." Her mother wheezed "run..." And then her skin turned to that flakey grey and her face morphed into dog like features.

Yanaha was pulled away from her mother by a strong pair of hands. "Yanaha we have to leave...NOW!" It was Asta the tribe leader.

"B-but..."

"No buts lets go!" Yanaha followed Asta to the horses but then something grabbed her arm causing her to scream. She turned to see her used to be mother clutching her arm with her long claws causing blood to pour down her arm from a deep wound it had created, but the beast was also smiling.

"Mum?" Yanaha asked. "Is that you?" She started to move closer but the monster then opened her mouth and a horrible screaming noise came out.

(End dream)

Yanaha awoke screaming cold sweat covering her shaking body. Yanaha closed her eyes and tears began to fall. "P-please leave me alone" she pleaded rocking back and forth trying to calm herself down.

"Yanaha!" She looked up to see Atreyu enter the tent. "I heard you scream are you Okay?"

"N-no" she answered. Atreyu moved to sit beside her. "Was it another nightmare?" He asked. Yanaha nodded. She had had the nightmare every night since the incident and every time it only got worse.

"W-why did it have to be her?" Yanaha asked referring to her mother.

Atreyu put an arm around her in a way to comfort her. "I don't know Yanaha I don't know."

It had now been a week since Asta and Yanaha had arrived and things had begun to go back to the way they used to be. Though it didn't appear that things were going to be that way for long. A week and a day after the arrival a message came from the Ivory Tower. It came in the form of a crystal and when it arrived it started to glow and the voice of moon child the childlike Empress came out. "Hello my dear friends." It said drawing the tribe to the crystal floating in mid air. "You have helped us in the past and for that I am forever grateful." Everyone turned to look at Atreyu who had looked down to the ground a slight blush appearing on his face, and then turning back to the crystal as the Empresses voice continued. "I wish for Atreyu to return to the Ivory Tower for we are in need of him again, so if you would please let him once again join us I thank you..." The crystal stopped glowing and disappeared completely.

Everyone turned back to Atreyu who was now walking away from the group towards the horses. Yanaha chased after him. "Atreyu wait!" She called.

"What is It?" He asked turning to face her.

"Your leaving? So soon"

"Well yes of course if the Empress wants me then I need to leave as soon as possible"

"When will you return?"

"That I am not sure of I'm not sure if I will ever return but if and when I do I will be back as soon as possible I promise." He then moved to hug her and she hugged back. "I promise." He said again.

"Okay..." Yanaha said her eyes then widened.

"What?" Atreyu asked.

"Wait here!" Yanaha said running off. Atreyu smiled. She had turned back into her old self in the past week and it made him happy to see her so full of joy again. "I'm back!" Yanaha's said pulling Atreyu back to reality. "Here." She said handing him a small package she held in her hands.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Just some biscuits...I made them yesterday..."

"Well thank you Yanaha." Atreyu said taking them from her.

"I made enough for everyone...you and the Empress...um..." She looked down and blushed. Atreyu though she looked cute like that but he quickly dismissed the thought.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked getting atop of Artax.

Yanaha looked up. "Oh um...yes I think so..."

"Don't worry everything will turn out fine."

"If you say so." She said giving him a small smile. "Now like you said you have to go!"

Atreyu chuckled and reached down to ruffle her hair making her laugh.

"Then I will see you when I return goodbye." That was the last thing said as he rode off leaving the tribe behind. Yanaha stood were he left her waving goodbye.

As Atreyu rode off towards the Ivory Tower (a two day trip) he couldn't help but wonder why the Empress wanted him back at the Ivory tower for the last time he was asked to go there he was sent on a quest to save Fantasia and he had almost been killed on several occasions. And then another thought hit him. What if Bastian had returned? Atreyu felt a mixed feeling of happiness and fear overwhelm him. Atreyu and Bastian were great friends but...he didn't want to think about it. Well he wouldn't know until he arrived but deep in his heart he truly wished that the saviour had returned.


End file.
